Trick and Treat
by twinklingbats
Summary: Forgotten dreams, strange lights in the woods, and a nostalgia that can't be shaken. Will an unexpected meeting with a mysterious pair of twins hold the answers Miku seeks? {Based off Inukai's PV of "Trick and Treat".}
1. Trick

Miku woke from a deep slumber, shoulders heaving, heart racing, and eyes wide. She strained to peer into her darkened bedroom but the fire, now only a few glowing coals, immersed the room in overexaggerated shadows. She jolted as a series of rapid thuds suddenly echoed through the room. Her eyes shot just past the foot of her bed to the window pane as it violently thumped and shook, but thoughts of a hellish midnight intruder faded as she registered the source of the alarming sound- nothing more than a cold autumn wind howling between the trees and hitting against the glass. The girl relaxed with a quiet laugh, and feeling the chill in the air, quickly had her quilts wrapped tightly around her body. Soon the rattle of the window pane and the howling wind was nothing more than ambient noise, but as the minutes drifted past, Miku found herself unable to sleep.

A deep, familiar sense of nostalgia wrapped itself around the girl's heart, leaving her desperate to remember her dreams. Nights like these weren't uncommon, and though she always knew she'd been dreaming, she never could discover what they were about. Though she painstakingly wracked her brain for answers, the content of her dreams remained a mystery and frustrated the girl to no end.

Knowing she wouldn't be getting back to sleep that night, Miku reluctantly crawled out of bed. She shivered as the cold air seeped through her nightgown and hurried to the other side of the room. In the middle of the wall was a fireplace, and she wasted no time in stoking the coals that had burned down in the night. Once she was satisfied with the the low fire forming in the hearth, Miku turned to the left and regarded the darkness outside her window, wondering how many hours it would be until sunrise. With a quiet sigh, Miku turned to the opposite wall and eyed the doorway, wondering if she should prepare some tea and breakfast. Not wanting to disturb her family, she turned to a short table that stood against her wall, just to the right of her door. Upon the table stood a porcelain wash basin and pitcher set, a white washcloth, and a silver-plated hair brush.

Miku picked up the pitcher and poured some water into the basin. Setting the container aside, she quickly dipped her hands into the icy water and scrubbed her face. A few moments later she shot up with a gasp, quickly reaching for the towel, and dried off her face. Feeling freshened up, Miku turned and headed to the corner of the room where her wardrobe stood. She opened the heavy wood doors and peered inside. With the fire now burning, Miku's room was bright enough to allow her to make out some of the dresses and accessories arranged throughout the armoire. Keeping the weather in mind, Miku pulled out a long sleeved, knee length black dress with a high, ruffled collar. She quickly slipped off her nightgown and stepped into the dress, wasting no time buttoning up the back, tying the sash tightly behind her, and securing the ribbons on the decorative secondary sleeves that stopped just above her elbows. After slipping on a pair of black stockings, the girl padded back over to her wash basin. Staring into the mirror that hung over the small table, Miku picked up the hairbrush and began guiding it through her long, silky turquoise locks. As she brushed her hair, her mind wandered back to the strange, unshakable feeling of nostalgia. Whatever she was trying to remember had a feeling of familiarity and companionship that she longed to experience again, mixed with a tinge of loneliness, as if something were missing. Still racking her mind, she went back to her wardrobe and selected a few small accessories. Bringing the objects back to the mirror, Miku quickly tied her hair into her usual twin tails, and secured each one with a bright red ribbon. She picked up the last accessory, a small fabric rose, and secured it to her dress, just over her heart. Satisfied with how she looked, Miku turned to face her room. With no hints of daybreak coming anytime soon, Miku turned to her left and headed for the bookcase. She carefully scanned the titles as she looked for something that interested her, eyes suddenly falling onto the bright spine of a book of fairytales. Having not read them in years and hoping to ease the sense of nostalgia still tightly clinging to her, Miku selected the book and walked to the rocking chair that sat across from the foot of her bed, just under the window. Curious to see what lay within the book of tales, Miku opened the book and flipped at random until she found the beginning of a story. She smiled warmly as she read the opening sentences of _Hansel and Gretel,_ instantly remembering reading those exact words over and over as a young child, and continued on. As odd as she knew it may seem, she'd always felt a strange camaraderie with the protagonists she could never place. Reading about the bravery and cleverness of Hansel and Gretel made the story one of her favorites growing up, though even at the age of sixteen, she still felt pity for the siblings' bad fortune and shuddered when she thought of the villainous witch and her candy house.

Miku shrieked and covered her head as her window suddenly burst open, clattering against the wall with force. The wind tore into the room, howling and biting at Miku's ears and freezing her to the bone despite her layers. With the sudden surge of air, the fire came to life in the darkness and flickered violently. Miku rushed over, trying to force the window shut as the fire flared and distorted shadows and light danced across the walls. As she struggled with the panes, she made out another sound, like children's' cries in the pauses between pained shrieks of wind. The girl waited for the wind to die down, straining to confirm her suspicions as her hair whipped around her face and obscured her view. As the wind momentarily calmed, she could just make out the faint calls of a child in the woods. Miku firmly forced the windows shut and secured the lock with shaking fingers, the fire regaining its composure and crackling heartily in the hearth. Ready to rush to the fireplace, Miku stopped for a moment to peer through her messy hair. As she struggled to fix her tangled bangs, she paused, something catching her eye in the darkness. In the middle of the forest two bright orange lights bobbed and flickered amidst the trees. Connecting the desperate cries to the glow of lantern light, Miku quickly rushed to the door, grabbing a thick, black cloak off a hook on her way out as thoughts of Hansel and Gretel lost in the woods flickered through her mind.

In the hallway, lanterns lined the corridors, bathing the dark wood that filled the home in a rich, orange glow. She hurried down the stairs, careful to avoid making the floorboards squeak as she padded into the parlor in her stockings, the flickering lantern her only light in the darkness. At the main door, Miku pulled on a simple pair of black boots and quickly laced them up. She pulled the door open just enough to slip out, and closed it firmly behind her before the wind could rip it open and wake the whole house.

~x~

She rushed towards the woods, her echoing footsteps drowned out by the howling wind, praying that her lantern wouldn't get snuffed out in the darkness. She struggled to keep herself upright in the stormy night, her body trembling as the cold bit through her clothes and her hair whipped against her face and hands. She silently thanked the rows of houses for taking most of the brunt the wind had to offer her as she ran, avoiding blown out jack-o-lanterns that crowded the walkways. The girl soon found herself on the edge of town, clutching her cloak closer to her chest as she peered into the woods standing before her. In the darkness, she could make out the same glowing lanterns flickering between the trees. She stepped onto the path, the lantern's small flame allowing her very little visibility in the dark woods. With the trees serving as a slight break to the wind, Miku would have found herself feeling a bit less cold had her body not already gone numb from the biting wind. Her teeth chattered as she stumbled forward, constantly scanning the trees. In the distance she could make out the two lights, bobbing precariously in the wind. When a break in the incessant howling occurred, she took her chance.

"Behind you!" Miku screamed, lifting her lantern into the air. "I'm over here!"

She smiled in delight as the two travelers seemed to pause and turn. Miku tried to call for the strangers again, but her voice was drowned out in the gale. She followed after them, yelling as loudly as she could. Unable to take any more, the lantern's light was snuffed out in the wind, leaving Miku in sudden and utter darkness. She looked around desperately, a feeling of dread engulfing her as she realized she'd strayed off the path in her efforts to reach the lost wanderers. Like a moth drawn to flame, Miku headed towards the only source of light, which now seemed to be erratically moving from side to side rapidly as the people searched for where she could have gone. She struggled on, hair whipping around her, clutching her cloak as it billowed behind, her skirt plastering itself to her legs and making it difficult to move. In a panic she began to run towards the lights, only to trip and fall. She dropped her cloak in time to catch herself on one hand and winced as she felt a sharp sting shoot up her hand and bloom over her knee. Dropping the lantern, she cradled her wrist in her good hand, but cried out as she felt her cloak get plucked off her body. Now entirely exposed to the elements, Miku tried to ignore the pain as she scrambled up to catch her cloak, to no avail. Even if it hadn't been carried off in the wind, she could never find it in the darkness of the forest without any illumination. Panic rose in her throat and tears pricked her eyes as she saw the lights, now glowing dimly in the distance, ready to blink out of sight behind the trees in another moment if she couldn't find a way to contact whoever was out there.

In desperation she screamed as loudly as she could over the wind. "Please! Help me!" she sobbed hoarsely, clutching her wounded hand to her chest as tears blurred her vision and ran down her cheeks.

Unsure if it was pure luck or if the strangers had found their bearings, Miku watched in hysteric anticipation as the lights began to hover, then slowly move towards her.

By the time the pair found her, Miku had mostly calmed herself down. She was still trembling from the cold, and the sharp aches in her wrist and knee pained her, but otherwise she was unharmed. The unnavigable blackness was now consumed in a warm orange glow as the travelers approached her. Miku looked up and tried to catch a glimpse of who she'd come across in the woods so late in the night.

Before her, two people stood, their glowing lanterns flickering and bathing their faces in light and shadow.

 **-x-**

 **MY FAVORITE MONTH IS FINALLY HERE, YESSS! Hello to anyone reading this, hope you enjoyed Chapter 1! The oncoming chapters are about to get longer and way more plot oriented, I just haven't had much time for bulking up the first chapter as much as I'd have preferred (I've been spending a lottt of time at doctors' offices and hospitals in the past few weeks, so blame that). Trick and Treat is going to be updated every Saturday throughout the month of October, with the final chapter being released on Halloween, so don't forget to follow/review if you like it!**

 **My good friend SparkyBubbles is also releasing a Trick and Treat inspired fic called "Pumpkin Lamps" very soon, so be sure to follow her for more updates on that. I'm sure it's going to be amazing!**


	2. Treat

Miku stared at the pair as they hovered over her, concerned blue eyes seeming to flicker to orange in the warm glow of their lanterns. Appearing to be only slightly younger than Miku, the travelers looked almost identical, from the same shade of tousled blonde hair, to their flushed white skin, to the heavy red cloaks tied tightly over their shoulders. If not for their hairstyles, the boy's tied back with bangs falling over his face and the girl's let down and side swept with a bow atop her head, Miku would have sworn that she was seeing double.

"Are you alright, miss?" the boy yelled, struggling to be heard over the wind.

Miku called out her affirmations to the pair but the howls of the wind and rustling of the trees drowned out her reply.

The twins knelt down beside Miku, both noting the wrist she gingerly cradled in her lap.

Miku eyed the pair's cloaks with a bit of envy as she shivered, her teeth chattering as she pulled her legs closer to her form.

Noticing her dangerous state, in a moment the twins were pressed against her sides, wrapping themselves around her as best they could with their petite frames and blanketing the girl with their cloaks.

Miku was much too relieved with the bit of warmth to be very alarmed by the gesture.

The sister leaned in close, only a breath away from Miku's cheek. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" the girl asked curiously.

Miku felt another tremor shoot through her body, though she wasn't sure if it was from the cold. With the girl now leaning so close, it was much easier to hear her speak over the wind.

Miku willed her trembling jaw to still as she tried to reply. "I saw you both in the woods," she explained, "and I thought you were lost, so I came to help."

The twins gave the girl an astonished look.

"How kind of you," the boy replied with a gentle smile, moving in equally close to the girl as he spoke. "Though we aren't exactly lost. We were travelling back to our home when the weather turned bad. We don't live too far from here, just a way further in the wood."

Despite the cold, Miku felt her face heat up. She silently scolded herself for being foolish enough to endanger herself on an assumption.

"Thank you for being so worried for us, miss!" the girl added brightly. "Though we really are fine..."

"Yes, of course," Miku muttered. She struggled to her feet, flustered by her clumsiness and rash decision. "I'll just be on my way, then…" the girl peered into the night, struggling to see the path in the inky darkness. She took a step forward then stopped, dread wrapping itself around her heart. "I don't know where I am…" Miku stated bleakly, tears pricking at her eyes as she was hit with the realization. "I'm lost."

The twins shot up, hastily reaching for the girl as she began to sway, her eyes fluttering slightly.

"Miss!" the two shouted as they firmly took hold of Miku's arms.

Their touch shot Miku back into consciousness. She wiped her forming tears away with her good hand and let out a small laugh. "You keep calling me 'miss'," she stated good naturedly. "My name is Miku."

"My name is Rin," the sister explained. "And that's Len," she added with a glance in the boy's direction. "I think we need to take Miku home with us. Don't you agree, brother?" she asked, nervously eying the shaking girl.

"Absolutely," Len confirmed with a nod.

"That isn't necessary…" Miku insisted, though she felt herself go lightheaded as she lost her balance. "I really can't intrude."

"We really must insist, miss," Len replied with a bit more desperation as he readjusted his hold on Miku.

"There's no way we can escort you home if you don't know where you are," Rin added sternly.

"Really, it's the _least_ we can do," Len agreed. "If we had been in trouble, we'd be in horrible shape without you by now."

"And if it really bothers you, see it as a thank you for showing so much concern for us," the sister added encouragingly.

Aching and numb from the cold, Miku's resolve was quickly broken with the twins' insistence. She haltingly nodded and the twins sighed in relief, though it was short lived.

"You're hurt, Miku…" Len trailed off nervously. "Just try to stay awake. We'll get you inside as quickly as we can." Though he tried to sound encouraging, his voice had an urgent and strained tone.

They moved slowly, and against her attempts to stay quiet, Miku often whimpered as sharp pains shot through her leg.

Despite the twins' lanterns, which were somehow miraculously still lit, Miku constantly stumbled as her feet caught on vines and roots. She grasped onto Rin and Len's arms more firmly, though her grip quickly loosened as she felt herself become lightheaded. "Are we close to the trail…?" Miku wondered aloud, teeth chattering as she forced herself to take another step forward.

"We live a bit off the beaten path," Len explained with a small laugh. "Though it would be a bit difficult for someone else to tell it apart from the rest of the forest, we're quite accustomed to it."

"We aren't very far now, Miku," Rin assured the girl optimistically, though her eyes reflected her worries. "We're just past the point Len and I were when we heard you!"

"I don't know if I can go much farther," the girl interrupted. She gasped as she tried to stifle a sob. "I'm so cold…"

"Miku, _please_ ," Len insisted, desperation rising in his voice. His eyes met with his sister's, mirroring each other's concern for the girl.

Though her injuries weren't serious, the twins knew that being exposed to the cold without the proper protection for so long was taking its toll. At the rate they were going, they didn't have much time before she would succumb to hypothermia.

"Miku, let's play a game…" Rin began with a newfound brightness in her tone.

"A game…?" she trailed off tiredly as she righted herself between the twins. "What kind of game?"

"We're going to have a race," Len explained. "Though since your leg is in bad shape, we'll have to help."

"I don't know if I can…" Miku protested weakly.

"Oh, c'mon!" Rin exclaimed. "Just lift your hurt leg a little and we'll handle the rest."

Miku did as she was told, and struggled to keep her balance on her good leg.

"Ready?" Rin called encouragingly to her brother.

Len nodded with a smile. "On your mark, get set, go!"

In a moment the twins were practically carrying Miku as they briskly moved her through the woods. Her protests could be heard over the sound of the wind, but the twins continued on, supporting as much of her weight as they could on their shoulders.

~x~

They arrived at their destination shortly, everyone tired and out of breath. The twins helped Miku gingerly climb the three large stairs leading up to the entrance.

"Rest against this," Len instructed, nodding in the direction of a large stone column.

The pair helped the girl balance herself against the cold pillar before turning to the doors.

Aching and exhausted, Miku had no choice but to do as she was told. As the twins moved ahead, she stared up at their home, though it was large enough to be considered a manor of sorts. She was sure it was a beautiful building in its prime, but now it seemed to be on the brink of falling into disrepair. Debris was scattered about the overgrown yard and the stone architecture making up the entranceway was cracked and crumbling. No light shone through the windows, which seemed to have accumulated a heavy layer of dust. The building seemed to loom over the girl, as if it were ready to topple on top of her at any moment. As far as they had to go to get here, she reasoned absently, it was most likely much too difficult to bring the supplies needed to make proper repairs on the home.

Miku was pulled from her thoughts as she heard the heavy creak of the twins pushing the massive double doors open. With a flourish of their arms, they beckoned her inside. Hesitantly, she entered the house.

Miku took in her surroundings as the doors creaked shut behind her. Inside it was dark and drafty, and she struggled to see through the gloom. As her eyes adjusted, the girl found herself in a vast living space, complete with an unlit hearth across the room and some dusty armchairs and tables scattered through the center of the area. Beneath her feet lay tattered, faded rugs, and the grandfather clock resting to her left sat still and unticking.

"Apologies for the state of things," Len called, taking hold of Miku's arm with a sheepish smile. "We weren't expecting guests."

"We have to get you out of the cold," Rin insisted, wrapping herself against the girl's other arm.

She allowed her hosts to guide her to the left where a long staircase stood, leading to the second floor. Rin and Len grabbed onto worn, rickety banisters with their free hands. The steps creaked and seemed to sink under Miku's weight as they made their ascent, though the twins guided her with no acknowledgment of the precarious footing.

On the second floor stood a long corridor, the darkness of the expanse giving it the illusion of stretching on endlessly. As they led Miku down the hall, she could see that the wallpaper was dim and peeling with age.

The twins stopped in front of a simple wooden door, and quickly ushered Miku into the space. Inside they hung their lanterns on hooks attached to the wall. With the room a bit more lit up, Miku could tell it was a comfortably sized and well-furnished space. The twins wasted no time in leading their guest to a large canopied bed to the far left side of the room. Miku practically collapsed when she sat down and was unsure if she could stop herself from crying with relief as she felt the feather blankets sink under her icy hands.

Before the tears could come she gasped in shock as she felt equally cold hands press simultaneously against the nape of her neck and inner thigh. Goosebumps covered Miku's body and her breath grew rapid as she felt the twins begin to pull off her dress and stockings without warning.

Having not realized that Len had already unlaced and slipped her boots off her feet, she watched half dazed as the boy gently eased the thick stocking over her injured knee and down her calf, a small smile playing on his lips as he did so.

Miku's muddled brain allowed her to succumb to the twins' otherwise embarrassing assistance, but she couldn't stifle her yelp when she was met with the sudden rush of cold hitting her bare skin. Rin continued to work on undoing the many buttons that lined the back of Miku's dress, her skilled, slender fingers quickly undoing them with ease. In a moment Miku was being helped to her feet, the garment falling into a pile of fabric around her ankles.

Despite the protection from the elements that the house provided, dressed in only a thin slip with no fire made Miku's abating chill return with a vengeance.

She was thankful as Rin and Len pulled back the covers and helped her into bed. With the heavy duvets pulled over her weakened form and a feather pillow beneath her head, Miku quickly succumbed to her exhaustion.

Hardly hearing the muffled thuds on either side of her, Miku's eyes shot open as she felt Rin and Len climb into bed alongside her. She quickly registered that the strange sounds were the pair removing their traveling gear as the twins wrapped their arms around the girl's still shivering form, the heat of their bodies radiating into Miku's chilled skin. While the bed was large enough to comfortably hold the three of them, a blush bloomed over Miku's face as she began to understand the implications of the situation. Embarrassed to be in bed with two strangers, who were now only wearing undergarments themselves, Miku hastily sat up and clumsily began to attempt to climb out of bed.

"Miku, what are you doing?!" Len demanded as he felt the girl shift around him.

"You're not well! You have to lay down," Rin insisted.

In a moment the pair had pulled her back onto the mattress and held her close against them.

"This isn't necessary," Miku muttered faintly, her eyelids already fluttering shut as she dipped in and out of consciousness.

"Of course it is!" the twins protested simultaneously.

"You were out in the cold for much too long," Rin explained.

Len nodded in agreement. "You could have gotten hypothermia… We understand that this may be embarrassing…" he trailed off with hesitation.

"But this is for your own health. We have to get you warm as quickly as possible," Rin continued firmly.

Their gazes softened as they looked down at Miku, already peacefully sleeping between them, and oblivious to the world.

~x~

Miku awoke to the sound of a crackling fire, thankful that her hearth had continued burning evenly throughout the night. She curled into the warmth of her blankets, not quite ready to face the day standing before her. She exhaled slowly, feeling refreshed and content as she burrowed into the sheets...

Quickly her her eyes fluttered open, suddenly aware of the foreignness of the covers entwined in her fingers and the pillow beneath her head. For a moment she was entirely disoriented, but memories of twins in the forest quickly returned. With her bearings found, Miku sat up and peered out a window on the opposite side of the room. Outside the world was still covered in darkness. Despite the deep blackness of night, the room was bathed in a bit more light, though the fire was burning low enough to bathe the room in shadow.

Wondering where the twins had gone, Miku gingerly stood. As she allowed her vision to straighten and grew accustomed to her aching knee, she noticed a multitude of small, flickering lights throughout the space. On every surface candles and jack-o-lanterns' flames bobbed and dipped in the room, sending bizarre shadows dancing at odd angles against every wall. Though disorienting at first, the room looked beautiful with all the small lights, and Miku's eyes quickly adjusted to the strange scene. Though they were far away from town, the room was filled with a considerable amount of pumpkins. Miku smiled at the unique expressions, imagining the twins carefully designing and cutting out their features. Each carving seemed to be different, giving off the impression that every decoration had a life of its own, the flames bobbing within them reminiscent of lively little souls.

"Oh!" Miku exclaimed, turning as she heard a giggle behind her. "I didn't see you two there."

The twins seemed to materialize from the shadows like ghosts. She noted that they had changed, suddenly much more self conscious of only being in her slip. Trying to ignore her embarrassment, she observed Rin and Len instead. She thought the twins were dressed adorably in their matching attire as she noted the deviations between Len's pants and Rin's skirt. The red stripes on their sleeves contrasted well with the black fabric, a color scheme she also personally enjoyed, and found their ruffled capelets to be a nice, elegant touch. Miku smiled to herself as she observed the black bow standing tall on Rin's head, and the small hat on Len's, knowing if she had chosen their clothing she would have accessorized the same way. To her, the outfits fit the pair perfectly.

"Do you like our decorations, Miku?" Rin asked excitedly.

She smiled warmly at the pair. "I think they're wonderful!"

"We're happy to see that you're feeling better, Miku," Len added. "Now that you're awake, we'll give you some privacy. Your dress is warming by the fireplace."

"Thank you," she responded breathlessly as she remembered the twins' kindness towards her. "You two are so good to me. I truly appreciate your hospitality…"

"It's no trouble at all!" Rin assured her.

"We love the company," Len added with a small laugh.

"You two are quite out of the way back here…" Miku agreed, eyeing the dark, dusty room.

"That's alright, because you're here, Miku!" Rin exclaimed, hugging the girl tightly.

"Yes, of course…" she trailed off, surprised by the girl's affectionate gesture.

"You're really cold…" Rin commented.

"She should get back into her clothes. We'll see you in a few minutes!" Len called as he exited the room, his sister following quickly behind.

Miku exhaled, still feeling tired after her unexpected trek. She turned to the fireplace and found her clothes neatly folded before the crackling flames. She was grateful for the warmth of the extra layers, face burning with the recollection of Rin and Len pressed against her as she buttoned her dress back up. She shook her head and turned, padding in bare feet to the center of the room where a loveseat sat, parallel to a table of the same length. Miku sat down, grateful for the plush sofa as she felt her vision begin to swim slightly. Her eyes wandered over the room, peering through the strange, unpredictable light of the flickering candles. Across the space stood a bookcase, though it was mostly empty. Next to it sat a large chest, which Miku assumed held childhood mementos of some sort. To the left, middle of the room lay the large canopied bed Miku had fallen asleep in. She reasoned that this must be one of the twin's rooms, but wondered where the other doors lined up in the corridor lead to. The agitating feeling that she was forgetting something was growing again, and she noticed that her head had begun to feel hazy and strange. She shivered, wondering how the pair could endure a house with such a terrible draft.

Soon the door opened, the light of the pumpkin lamps revealing the twins carrying some supplies. As Rin walked over, Miku noticed that she held a folded woolen blanket. Atop the fabric, a fresh roll of bandages and a hairbrush sat, which Len quickly picked up.

Miku tried to stand, but was gently pushed back onto the couch by Rin.

"You two have done too much, really," Miku insisted.

Rin laughed and quickly draped the blanket around Miku's shoulders. "It's no trouble."

"We're happy to take care of you," Len added as he handed the hairbrush to his sister.

The fabric was heavy and warm and Miku immediately felt her eyes begin to droop, a feeling of comfort enveloping her. The feeling grew as Rin began untying the ribbons in Miku's hair. She set them aside and began to work on the locks, which had become quite knotted thanks to the wind. She hummed a tune as she slowly dragged the brush through Miku's hair.

The girl laughed nervously, her face turning bright red.

"Is something wrong, Miku?" Rin asked curiously as she continued to brush out the knots.

"I'm just not used to this type of thing," Miku admitted. "It's rather intimate, don't you think?"

Rin stayed silent for a few moments, as if deep in thought. "I suppose you could say that. Though perhaps it's less strange to me since you're so pretty."

"What?" Miku stuttered.

Rin laughed at the girl's response, and Len chimed in.

"Smooth skin, wide eyes, a delicate frame, and long, silky hair. You're so much like a doll, it's truly astounding," he explained, his voice sounding far off and languid.

"I truly am happy to help. Doing things like this is fun!" Rin added happily.

"I see..." Miku trailed off. She was growing sleepy with Rin's gentle touches and found the repetition and physical contact was becoming quite pleasant.

Miku yelped and shot up as she felt a cool, soft hand caress her bare leg.

"Shh," Len breathed, "I have to see how badly you were hurt. Relax."

Miku blushed at the sight of Len pushing her dress up, the hem hiking up to her thigh. She shivered as his hands continued to caress her skin, her body suddenly hot and flushed with his touches. She clamped a hand over her mouth and tried to stifle a whimper as Len began to assess her hurt knee, which was now bruised and quite swollen. He pressed lightly around the wound to make sure nothing was broken, and Miku couldn't stop herself from crying out.

Len looked up at the girl sympathetically. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts," he whispered, and pressed his lips lightly to her knee.

Miku's breath hitched in her throat, her face burning with the gesture, and turned when she felt a warm breath on her neck. Rin's face was inches from her own, her blue eyes wide as she watched Miku, a smile playing on her lips.

"You don't need to be so self conscious of our hospitality," she purred.

Miku's eyes widened and she nodded haltingly. She bit back another whimper and tried to relax, breathless and still as Len began bandaging the wound. With her knee pulsating and burning, the chill of his skin felt surprisingly good against her injury. She tried her best to ignore what was happening and focused on Rin as she began retying the bows into her hair.

Miku froze as she felt Rin lean against her back. Slowly the girl reached for Miku's arm and gently lifted it. She quickly undid the buttons on her cuff, sighing as she looked at the bruises that had formed over her wrist and palm. Len passed the remaining bandages to Rin, and Miku gasped as she felt the girl's lips pressed against her wrist, tremors shooting through her body in response. Before she could say anything, Rin had pulled away and began bandaging the wound as Len traced small circles on her thigh with his fingertip. With the sprain properly dressed, she buttoned the cuff back up and stepped away with a satisfied smile.

Before she could get any more flustered, the twins headed for the door.

"We'll be back momentarily, Miku," Len assured her as they exited the room.

She fell back onto the loveseat, breathless and shocked by the twin's behavior. Though she felt a bit unsettled by the unexpected turn of events, she was warm and the lights were dim. In a few moments, Miku found herself lost in her thoughts, her body relaxing as the pain in her knee and wrist slowly faded away. As she watched the lights within the jack-o-lanterns flicker, she once more found it endearing that the twins managed to decorate for the holidays despite being so far away from the town. Miku always found herself getting excited for autumn. As the harvest neared, the town seemed to come alive as excitement for festivals and good food began to engulf the area. The girl looked around, observing the disrepair around her. Recalling fond memories seemed to make the home seem even larger and colder, and she wondered where Rin and Len's parents were. The house was quite large, and though it seemed to be in bad shape, Miku reasoned that perhaps the two were watching it until someone could come out and complete the necessary fixes or simply didn't have the money to repair it. Despite the poor shape the house was in, the twins seemed to be well fed and dressed nicely. She couldn't imagine that the two were impoverished by the look of them, and concluded that while it wasn't occurring to her now, their reason for staying in the house was most likely entirely logical.

Miku was pulled from her thoughts as she heard the door creak open, and turned in her seat. Rin was holding the door open for her brother, who was balancing a tea set on a tray. Len briskly entered the room and placed the serving plate onto the long table that sat before Miku, his sister following closely behind. Rin quickly lifted up the tea pot that sat in the middle of the tray and tipped it towards the teacup Len had extended in her direction. Cloudy, steaming liquid spilled into the cup, and once it was filled, Len plucked a cinnamon stick from a separate container and dropped it into the drink. The pair turned and sat on either side of Miku, disregarding the other chairs that stood on the opposite side of the table.

"For you," Rin smiled as she passed the cup to Miku.

She inhaled the scent deeply, closing her eyes as memories from her childhood swept through her.

"We thought it would be too late for tea," Len explained. "So we opted for hot milk instead. I hope you don't mind."

"It's perfect," she breathed. "I used to love to drink this as a child."

The twins smiled and watched as Miku gingerly took a sip. The milk was oddly sweet and thick to the point of being almost syrupy, but it was perfectly spiced and welcomed in such a chilly room. "It's delicious!" she exclaimed, beaming excitedly at the pair.

"I'm happy to hear it!" Len exclaimed with a laugh as he watched the girl take another sip.

Rin smirked and leaned closer to Miku as she pulled the cup away from her lips, eyelids drooping as she gazed into the other girl's eyes. Miku felt the girl brush her lip with a single slender finger. She pulled away, observing the bead of milk that had collected on her fingertip. Miku's eyes widened and her face burned as Rin licked the drop from her fingertips. Noticing her reaction, the twins began to laugh.

"Oh Miku, you look so cute!" Rin teased with a devilish smirk.

Miku's heart began to race as Rin leaned in and pulled her close, arms entwined around her neck, their faces inches apart.

"Rin, don't forget to share," Len chided as he inched closer. He gently slid the blanket off Miku's shoulders. She shivered as his hands roamed over her, tracing her waist before he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Miku's heart began to pound as the twins pulled close, her breath catching in her throat and her body growing hot with their gentle touches. She shuddered beneath them, their heat intoxicating as they pressed themselves closer against her. She heard the clatter of her teacup falling to the floor, but the twins paid it no mind. The sound seemed distant as her body grew heavy and her eyes fluttered closed, the pair trailing their hands over her as she arched her back and whimpered, their breaths hot against her body.

A cold rush of air hit Miku as the twins pulled away, their laughter seeming to echo through the room. Her vision was blurred as she opened her eyes and scanned the space. Rin and Len leaned over her, their faces bright with excitement as they wordlessly pulled her towards the bed. She found herself falling against the mattress, her head cloudy and her body heavy with a new wave of sleepiness. She watched as the siblings began to pull a few books from the bare shelves and some toys from the chest that sat beside it, her eyes drooping more and more as exhaustion overtook her. Soon the twins joined her, the bed now covered with books and stuffed animals. Rin propped herself on her elbows and fiddled with a plush rabbit she'd plucked off the bed. Len leaned back on one arm and began quietly reading a fairytale out loud, his voice steady and low. The candles bobbed and filled the room with colors in such a way that Miku was reminded of her fireplace back home. With the sound of Len's voice filling her ears and surrounded by duvets and feather pillows, Miku felt herself being consumed with feelings of familiarity. She was quickly lulled into a peaceful, warm slumber, and was greeted eagerly by the beginning of a dream.

 **~x~**

 **Sorry for the late update, hope everyone enjoys Chapter 2! As always, please review/fav/follow if you like the story. Also, SparkyBubbles has released "Pumpkin Lamps", so check it out for more awesome Trick and Treat inspired content!**


	3. Truth

" _How shall we ever get out of this wood?" Gretel began to cry. But Hansel comforted her, saying, "Wait a little while longer, until the moon rises, and then we can easily find the way home." And when the full moon got up Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the way where the flint stones shone like silver, and showed them the road._

 _...they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up. Hansel said to Gretel, "We shall soon find the way..."  
But they did not find it. They walked the whole night and all the next day too from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest, and were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat… And as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep..._

~x~

The little girl stood at the edge of the forest, her eyes wide and her heart racing.

"Go on!" the other children called behind her.

"I told you she couldn't do it!" one of them yelled.

"She's scared of the woods!" another laughed.

"Chicken!"

The little girl felt anger bubble within her. She turned to the group and glared at them, tears pricking her eyes and her face burning red with embarrassment as they mocked her.

"Oooh, now she's gonna cry!" a boy, a bit older than the rest taunted.

"No I'm not!" she screamed. "I'm not afraid!"

The little girl turned around. Closing her eyes tightly, she held her breath as she took a step forward. Before she knew it, she was running into the woods, the voices of the other children growing fainter with every step.

The little girl ran and ran until she didn't think she could anymore. She stopped to catch her breath, her anger cooling as she recovered from the exertion. As she calmed down, she looked around her. On every side were trees as far as the eye could see. They rustled with the wind, as if they were speaking to one another. The little girl felt a shiver run down her spine as she imagined the trees whispering amongst themselves as they watched her. No longer angry with the other children, she only felt fear as she began to run once more, darting through the trees as she tried to find her way out of the forest.

The little girl wasn't sure how long she wandered for. She struggled to remember which way the village was. Knowing that the night would soon be approaching, she began to feel quite scared. She was sure that the trees continued on forever and realized that she had become hopelessly lost. Sitting down beneath a tree, the little girl began to cry.

She cried and cried, until she had no more tears left to shed and fell to the ground. She heaved and sobbed inconsolably, until she heard a melody. The little girl sat up and looked around. In a nearby tree she found the source of the strange sound.

~x~  
 _...About noon they saw a pretty snow-white bird sitting on a bough, and singing so sweetly that they stopped to listen. And when it had finished the bird spread its wings and flew before them, and they followed after it until they came to a little house, and the bird perched on the roof, and when they came nearer they saw that the house was built of bread, and roofed with cakes, and the window was of transparent sugar.  
_ ~x~

A beautiful white bird sat in a tree and was singing a wonderful tune. The little girl stood up and walked to the base of the tree where the bird perched. The creature swooped out of the tree and flew a short distance away. It turned it's head and looked at the girl expectantly, as if it were waiting for her to follow. The little girl rushed to the next tree, and the bird was quick to fly away once more. The two played this game for quite some time, and the little girl had long forgotten her troubles when the bird flew high into the sky and disappeared. The little girl's smile dropped and her laughter faded as she realized that she was once again terribly alone. As she looked away from the sky, her eyes widened. Before the little girl stood a large, beautiful house.

She quickly climbed the steps leading up to the home. After being lost in the woods for so long, the little girl did not consider whether or not her actions would be disrespectful. She tested the knobs on the large doors, and finding them to be open, went inside the house.

Inside it was dark and dusty. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and furniture was knocked over and strewn about the large living space. The little girl entered the house slowly as her curiosity grew within her, and realizing that it had been abandoned long ago, decided to explore. She headed up the stairs, each step creaking under her weight as she went. She wandered through an empty hall and found it to be lined with doors. For quite some time she tested each knob, but was always met with disappointment when none of them would budge. Annoyed, she was ready to turn back but noticed that one door in particular stood slightly open. Wondering how she hadn't noticed it sooner, the girl quickly entered the space.

Inside she found the room to be similarly covered in dust and grime. She walked to the other side of the space. Beyond a large, dusty bed she peered to where an empty bookshelf and a large box lay. After wiping off the heavy layer of dust that had settled over the box, she realized with excitement that she had found a chest. The little girl was filled with much happiness when she discovered the contents hidden away from the world. Inside lay two dolls in perfect shape, the chest having protected them from the house's decay. She looked the toys over and realized that they were a matching pair, from their yellow hair and black button eyes to their faded pink and gray gingham outfits. Finding the house suitable enough and dolls to be worthy companions, she decided that if she were to be lost in the woods forever, she would have to make this place her new home.

The little girl quickly began tidying up the room, chattering to her newfound friends all the while. Though after some time she realized that it was getting to be quite late. Her stomach began to grumble, and thoughts of her parents and friends filled her with a deep loneliness. As she began to cry, she saw something outside of the window. The little girl ran over and her eyes widened as she saw flickering lights in the distance. She rushed over to the little dolls and crouched down to where they sat upon the floor.

"I'm going to go see what's out there, but I'll be back soon," she promised, and quickly ran out of the room.

Once more outside, the little girl began to hear sounds in the distance. As she followed them, she realized with surprise and relief that they were calling her name and began to run towards the source of the noise.

In a few minutes she found herself being embraced tightly by her mother and father, tears streaming down her face as they asked if she was alright.

The little girl assured them that everything was fine and found herself quickly being taken home by the group.

When they had all returned the adults made the other children apologize for what they had done to the little girl. She accepted the apology, but thoughts of her house in the woods filled her head.

~x~

A few days passed and everything returned to normal, but the little girl never forgot the house, until one day she couldn't take it any longer. With her parents occupied and the children going to play elsewhere, the little girl slipped away. She tiptoed inside her home and came out with a broom in hand. In no time at all she was following the path up to the woods.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the child had memorized the way back to the village from the house in the forest, and without hesitation she found herself beneath the trees. In what felt like no time she was heading off the path and approaching the house. She quickly opened the door and found herself inside the dingy, dusty place once more. The little girl headed upstairs and found her friends exactly where she had left them.

"I told you I'd be back!" she announced and scooped the dolls up into a hug. She carried them downstairs and after some effort had upturned a chair for them to sit in.

"I can't stay long, but I'll always come back for you," the girl promised as she sat the dolls into the chair.

She told the pair about her village and friends, cleaning all the while. When she decided it was time to go home the room had already been improved quite a bit with the furniture all sitting up properly once more and some of the dust swept away.

"Don't forget my promise!" she called, and waved to her friends as she left.

Once out of the forest, the little girl snuck back into town, secretly satisfied by how easily she had disappeared and reappeared without anybody noticing her absence. And so, the girl made a habit of visiting her friends whenever she could.

~x~

Oftentimes she would come to the house and clean. Sometimes she would go in and find that things had been sorted or cleaned for her in her absence. When this happened, she was always sure to thank her friends for their much needed company. After the living room was tidied up, the little girl and the dolls moved upstairs. Between her and her friends, the bedroom quickly became a comfortable space to stay in, though, the little girl realized, it was quite barren and lonely.

From that time on, she would bring over a thing or two from her home, and soon the room felt much more cozy. The chest was now filled with toys, the bookshelf had a few books on it, and the bed had been dusted and remade with clean sheets. Now she was sure that her friends wouldn't be bored while she was away, though she wondered if they got hungry when she wasn't around or cold in their fraying clothes.

~x~

They weren't sure how long they were in the darkness, but they remembered the moment they were brought into the light. A face appeared before them, round and curious, and the moment she saw them it bloomed into the most beautiful smile they'd ever seen. They remember her pulling them out of the box and holding them close and as their bodies flooded with warmth they understood what it meant to be alive.

When she wasn't around to keep them company, they tried to occupy themselves.

Slowly but surely, they found themselves beginning to move.

~x~

The next time the little girl came over, she brought with her a tea set and the three had a wonderful time drinking her favorite cinnamon milk and talking to each other.

As she was leaving the house, she tripped on one of the steps, which had begun to cave. Thankfully, she wasn't far from the bottom and had only scraped her knee. Still, after the incident, when she would have to go her friends would always watch her as she went down the stairs and welcome her at the door when she arrived.

They wished they could have rushed to her rescue when it had happened, but they understood what the consequences of their actions would have been. It was obvious that they were not like her, and if they scared her away it would break their hearts. As far as she knew, they were just her little friends, unchanging, unmoving.

Though they wished they could do more, how could they protect her with their stitched up bodies? How could they watch over her when they were made of cloth and cotton and straw? What if one day she grew frightened of them and never returned? Those thoughts horrified them to no end, but the little girl always came back without fail, and so they remained unmoving, still as dolls.

~x~

Though the dolls seemed to stay the same, the little girl grew, and soon their fear of her daily departures faded. The three settled into a comfortable routine of drinking tea, talking, and playing games. As the weeks bled into months, the dolls began to love the girl who had saved them from their loneliness, and in turn, the girl loved the dolls. They remembered the first time she said it, right after she had given them their names, and if their chests were not empty, they were certain their hearts would have burst with happiness. They loved their names and the girl who had bestowed them, and their desire to stay by her side clung to them fiercely. They wanted nothing more than to touch her, kiss her cheeks, pull her into an embrace and show her that their love stayed strong. Though as easily as their trust in the girl was established, as easily too it crumbled with their anxieties.

Something was changing.

The little girl they once knew was growing rapidly, and soon she was on the verge of becoming a young lady. Their worries were only confirmed as the girl began coming to see them less and less, and soon their love and happiness was replaced with desperation and heartbreak. They allowed the house to grow dusty and dark without the girl's presence in hopes that she would return more to clean it. When she would arrive, she'd be shocked at the state of them and their home, but the decay caused her to stay, and even if it wasn't long, at least she was there. So they endured the rot and the pain of their weakening friendship and held on tightly to their love and trust in the girl. The dolls felt their spirits plummet with her inevitable departure as much as they would soar whenever the girl would come to see them. When she spoke, it was no longer of silly pranks and days spent playing with the other towns children. Now discussions of housework and school and things the dolls didn't understand occupied their tea parties. Gone were the days of lightheartedness and carefree times, it seemed. The girl sighed much more now, and looked tired as she gazed upon her friends, and no matter how much they wished they could beg her to stay- as much for their sakes as hers- they wondered if she would even comply. Through it all, the dolls were happy to be her closest confidants, even if they wished they could do more than just listen to her. They mourned the bodies they possessed and wished only to stay by the girl's side forever. As the girl's visits stretched thin and as she seemed to grow with every visit, so did the dolls' longing to remain forever by her side.

~x~

The next time she arrived, the girl brought with her small scraps of red and black fabric. Her friends were thrilled to see her and watched curiously as she sewed the pieces together, each stitch bringing something beautiful closer to its completion. It had been so long since she'd come to see them last, and they enjoyed watching her as she worked and talked. The dolls also watched with the same unwavering curiosity as the she gasped and dropped the cloth, her eyes welling with tears as her pricked finger bled.

As the blood flowed, they wished more than ever that they could come to her side to console her and wipe the tears from her eyes, their own hearts feeling as though they were pricked to bleeding with the misery of it. Ignoring the pain, they watched as the little girl continued to sew, though the troubled expression she now wore never left her face. She kept going long into the afternoon, and by the time the sun's rays had turned golden and hazy, her work was completed.

An identical pair of outfits for the dolls had been made, and the girl was quick to dress them in their new clothes. The dolls were thrilled to no longer be wearing the tattered rags they had been accustomed to for so long, and silently thanked the girl profusely. Instead of being happy, however, the girl only seemed to grow more sad. The dolls looked at her questioningly as she brought them to the bed, and once they were tucked securely beneath the sheets, she pulled out the book she had brought with her that day. It was a book they recognized well, one from the girl's personal collection, and her favorite. She often read stories from it for them, though with her long absences, that habit also slowly faded away. She opened the book to where she had last left off and cleared her throat. She was silent for a long moment, her fist clutched to her face and her eyes tightly shut. The dolls wondered why she looked as if she were about to cry. After regaining her composure, the girl looked down and began to read where she had left off the time before.  
 _"'We will have some of this,' said Hansel, 'and make a fine meal. I will eat a piece of the roof, Gretel, and you can have some of the window- that will taste sweet.' So Hansel reached up and broke off a bit of the roof, just to see how it tasted, and Gretel stood by the window and gnawed at it.  
"Then they heard a thin voice call out from inside, 'Nibble, nibble, like a mouse, Who is nibbling at my house?'Then the door opened, and an aged woman came out, leaning upon a crutch. Hansel and Gretel felt very frightened, and let fall what they had in their hands.  
The old woman, however, nodded her head, and said, 'Ah, my dear children, how come you here? You must come indoors and stay with me, you will be no trouble.' So she took them each by the hand, and led them into her little house. And there they found a good meal laid out, of milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. After that she showed them two little white beds, and Hansel and Gretel laid themselves down on them, and thought they were in heaven.  
The old woman, although her behavior was so kind, was a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had built the little house on purpose to entice them. When they were once inside she used to kill them, cook them, and eat them, and then it was a feast-day with her…"_

~x~

The girl never returned, and the dolls never forgot.

Once the story was complete, she left as always, if not a bit more regretfully as usual. They'd hoped it had been a sign that she hadn't forgotten, and that she'd find time to come more often to play and read to them. But slowly the days turned to weeks and the months changed with still no sign of return from the girl. As the seasons bloomed and withered into years, tumultuous feelings boiled and churned within them. If their eyes weren't buttons they would have been red with tears and if their voices worked they would have screamed them hoarse. They loathed their bodies, unmoving, unchanging, and prayed for a miracle so that they too could possess the forms to always stay by their friend's side, to feel her against their skin, to adore her with beating hearts, and profess their love with unwavering voices.

Slowly their loneliness warped into anger and they resented the girl for leaving them behind. And slower still the anger dulled, leaving them as cold and hollow as their bodies would allow. Through it all, they held onto hope and clung to warped delusions of her return.

Sometimes they would swear that they would hear her come back. They could hear her running up the stairs, imagine her flinging open the door and wrapping them in an embrace. She'd apologize and swear she'd never leave them again, and they'd pack up their things and move into her home where they'd drink warm cinnamon milk and talk and play games everyday like normal children. At night they would lay in bed and she would read them stories and whisper their names in the darkness and all would be well.

Of course, this never happened. The sound of the girl running up the stairs was only the house creaking and settling and her voice was nothing more than a gust of wind caught in the chimney. But still they would wait for her return, decaying like the house around them, still as dolls, still as corpses, until one day, they made a decision:

If the little girl no longer wished to play with dolls, then dolls they would no longer be.

~x~

At first it was just a twitch, but slowly, surely, their bodies began to move once more. Soon they could walk short distances before they would fall. It was during one of these instances when they toppled to the ground that there came a squeak. A miniscule noise in the creaking, groaning house, quiet as a moth's wings. But soon the noises grew and changed and before they could fully understand it themselves, they had voices. Quickly their throats strengthened and they learned to speak and sing. Their felt stretched and gained sensation, their hair grew soft and wispy, and their eyes began to move and blink. Slowly they grew and changed until the stitches and cotton disappeared altogether. Before long, they were dancing and running and laughing and crying. Their wish had come true, and with their now-beating hearts they longed for nothing more than to be reunited with the girl.

~x~

Finally one day they mustered up the courage to leave their house, but as they wandered through the forest they realized that they had no idea where to go. They found themselves hopelessly lost for days, exhausted but unable to die. When they had rediscovered their home, they were more miserable than ever before. Though they knew the girl was out there, they had no idea where. The forest was large, agonizingly so, but the girl had taught them well.

With newfound strength, the dolls left the house once more, armed with stale bread and stories the girl had left behind. They walked and explored until the bread was gone and returned home, memorizing their paths all the way. They refused to let themselves give up hope and as their failures grew, so did their determination. On the next outing they brought stones, as many as their pockets allowed them to carry, and out they went into the world once more, the same determination and longing swirling within them.

One way or another they would be reunited with the girl, if not as lost children, than as a witch luring in her prey with a candied house.

~x~

Miku walked down the empty corridor, the checkered floor stretching on endlessly. She felt her frustration well up as the same biting nostalgia ate away ate her, urging her to continue forward, desperately looking for answers she was unsure she'd ever find. In the distance she saw something outlined in the darkness. She ran towards it, her feet tapping on the floor, until she came to a sudden stop. Perched on a tall golden chair sat herself.

She was much younger and smaller, but it was undoubtedly her, and on either side stood Rin and Len, lovingly smiling down upon her. The three looked so happy and she didn't seem to question it when the twins were suddenly on the floor, smaller and much less human, and once more they seemed to flicker back into their normal forms.

Miku's heart began to beat faster as she watched her child self flicker to her current self sitting in the chair, panic rising in her throat as memories flooded back to her. She stifled a scream as Rin and Len turned to her with wide smiles, eyes glowing orange as coals.

~x~

Miku awoke with a gasp, her vision partially obscured by the dim light and something else, as Rin and Len's true names lay heavy on her tongue. With a creeping dread she peered into the darkness with her uncovered eye, wondering how the sun hadn't risen yet. She slowly raised her hand to her face and realized it had been loosely bound in strips of cloth. She felt her heart race as the bandages slipped off. Eyes darting about the darkened bedroom confirmed that it was still deep night. She peered through the disorienting flicker of pumpkin lamps, her gaze falling upon the loveseat where the three had sat and laughed only a few hours earlier.

Amongst the plush cushions and jack-o-lanterns the twins lounged unaware that they were being watched. In the glow of the candlelight their shadows cast upon the walls, only as tall as dolls.


	4. Trepidation

" _Hansel… Gretel…"_ Miku whispered, her breath catching in her throat as the twins turned to look at her, heads simultaneously snapping in an unsettling, almost mechanical way.

"My, my," Len purred as he sauntered over to the bed, his sister close behind. "What a wicked child. What are you doing up so early?"

Rin leaned close to Miku's face, an evil grin playing on her lips. "If the blindfold keeps coming off, shall I just blind you instead?" she asked with a syrupy sweet giggle.

"Come now, Miku. You were sure to remember eventually," Len chided with a sneer.

"As much as you wanted to, you couldn't forget us forever!" Rin added, then frowned. "What's with that look, Miku? You look positively terrified! Come on, smile!" she insisted.

Miku flinched as Rin placed a fingertip to either side of her mouth and felt as she pushed upwards. She felt overwhelmed with the pair crowded around her, grinning widely with their eyes glowing like jack-o-lanterns. Despite her fear she did as she was told and smiled.

"That's better!" Len exclaimed. "Now, shall we continue where we left off? The night is still young!"

Miku continued to smile as nervousness welled up within her. Memories she'd pushed away for so long flashed before her eyes, as vivid and tangible as the dolls standing before her.

"You two look so different… how did this happen…?" Miku ventured, her throat tight and her heart ready to beat out of her chest.

Rin shrugged. "People change when you go a while without seeing them. And just look at you, Miku! All grown up!"

"She still trembles like a scared little mouse," Len laughed. "Some things just don't change, I suppose. Would you care for some more warm milk?"

"That's alright," Miku responded nervously. "I think I need to be getting back home anyways."

"Oh, come on!" Rin chided, hugging Miku from behind. "It's just as good here as it would be anywhere else."

"Besides," Len added as he lifted Miku's hand to his lips, "it's much too cold for you to leave."

The room grew deathly silent. Even the wind, howling only a few moments ago now seemed to be holding its breath.

"In fact," Rin began, her expression darkening as she whispered into Miku's ear, "I think you should just stay here forever."

Miku yelped as she yanked herself from the twins' grasps, breathing heavily as she turned towards them, her eyes filling with tears.

Len stood up, his smile predatory as he advanced towards the girl. "My, my. What a reaction…"

"Stay away from me," Miku demanded.

"Miku-" Rin whispered, reaching towards the girl as she came closer.

"I said _stay the hell away from me_!" Miku screamed, feeling as if she were on the verge of hysterics as she began to sob.

The twins recoiled as if they'd been slapped and Miku's heart dropped with remorse.

"I-I'm sorry…" she stuttered.

"Why did you leave us?!" Rin growled, tears falling down her face. "Why did you have to go away?! How could you?!"

Miku's eyes widened as Rin began to cry, her breathing becoming more even as Len consoled his sister.

"Say something!" she begged through her tears.

Guilt weighed heavily upon her as Len turned towards her and glared, his eyes burning with hatred.

"I was getting older, and things were beginning to change..." Miku ventured.

She winced as Rin screamed loudly, looking as if she was going to start crying again despite the rage that contorted her face.

"How could you abandon us like that?" Len asked coldly, his voice trembling with anger.

"I didn't know you were alive-"

Rin pulled herself from her brother's arms. "What about when you gave us our names?" she demanded as she inched closer to the girl, her voice squeaking as she began to cry again. "When you read us stories? Made us tea? Talked to us for hours on end? Were we dead to you then?"

"Rin, Len-"

"You left us to rot in this godforsaken house on a whim!"

"It wasn't that simple!" Miku screamed, her body tensing as tears threatened to fall once more. She paused for a moment and composed herself before she continued on, her voice wavering as she spoke. "I must have been gone too long one day, and someone noticed me when I came back from the woods," she recounted helplessly, unable to look the siblings in the eyes. "My town is superstitious about the forest. Soon rumors were spreading… They thought I was acting strange. Some people accused me of terrible things, people were beginning to think I was a witch. I was _scared_."

"What, would they have killed you for it?" Len questioned coldly.

"No… I…"

"Then who cares what they thought?!"

"I did! I don't know- I just wanted it to stop. It was awful-"

"Why didn't you take us back with you?!" Rin demanded. "You didn't have to leave us here!"

"I couldn't risk it!" Miku sobbed, backing away further as Len and Rin closed upon her, only stopping when she felt her back pressed against a wall. "What if they'd found you two? I was being watched too closely… plus…" Miku trailed off, her voice falling to a whisper. "The house was beginning to scare me."

She looked away from Rin and Len as she explained. "It was starting to feel strange when I'd come over. Things would be moved around or cleaned between visits, and I'd always find you two in different places than where I'd left you before. I let the floor get dirty so I could see if there would be footsteps, and I'd found a key and started locking the door. But when I'd return there would be no sign of anyone having been there… I began to think that maybe the others were right. Maybe the house _was_ haunted."

"You really believed that you weren't safe here?" Len pressed. "You'd trust a few superstitious fools-"

"I don't know what I was thinking, but things weren't getting any better! I was losing friends and people were treating me differently. I wasn't going to put myself in danger for a couple of...!"

"What?" Len sneered, silence falling over the room once more.

"Say it, Miku," Rin insisted. "What are we?"

Miku's voice trembled, but her tone was heavy with resolve as she met eyes with the twins. "...I wasn't going to risk myself for a couple of dolls."

Miku winced as the air filled with shrieks of laughter.

"I didn't know… I'm sorry, I didn't know!" Miku sobbed as the twins pulled her to her feet. In her panic she'd slid down and was huddled to the floor.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Miku," Len purred as he supported her weight in his arms. "Everything can be different now. We can be together forever."

Miku sobbed as Rin wrapped her arms around her from behind.

"Your heart is beating so quickly…" she whispered as she caressed her chest just above the felt rose pinned to her dress. "You gave it to us once, you know. Surely you can give it to us again…"

The air seemed to leave the room as the twins crowded around Miku, filling her with an overwhelming claustrophobia.

"That isn't such a bad idea, Rin…" Len mused as he leered at the girl.

"I like the way you think, brother…" Rin cooed in response as she traced patterns over Miku's chest with her fingers. "Hey," Rin giggled. "Give me that…"

Miku's eyes widened and her heart seemed to stop as Len grinned at her and reached towards her heart.

"No, no, no!" she screamed as she ripped herself from Rin and Len's grasps. She flung open the door and bolted down the hall, panic and adrenaline coursing through her veins, her heart refusing to stop pounding despite the sound of the twins' alarmed shrieks fading as she ran.

A searing pain shot through her injured ankle but Miku refused to let it slow her pace as she ran for the stairs. She hobbled down each step as best she could, whimpering in agony and fear as she heard Rin's voice growing louder, her screams echoing down from the top of the staircase.

"Give it to me, Miku! Stop!" she cried out hysterically as she began to follow down the steps.

 _Just a little farther…_ Miku thought desperately as her vision swam and tears burned her eyes. _I just have to reach the door…!_

Miku screamed as she tripped over her bad ankle and fell down the last few stairs, her body shooting with pain as she landed on her arm and shoulder with a grunt. She gasped for air and struggled to stand as Rin fast approached her. With a final burst of energy, Miku forced herself to stand, her ankle sending a new shockwave of pain through her leg with every step. She reached for the exit, Rin's desperate screams grew closer with every second as she ripped open the door.

Miku was hit with a burst of cold air, the wind pushing her dress and hair behind her as if it was trying to force her back into the house.

Struggling against the force of the wind, Miku took a step over the threshold, and immediately recoiled with a bloodcurdling scream. Over the howl of the wind she was met with the sound of cracking bones and a dull, painful thump. In front of her Len's body lay crumpled on the porch, having just fallen from the second story a moment earlier. Convinced he was dead, Miku watched in horror as Len began righting himself in front of her, slowly dragging himself off the floor, a crazed grin plastered to his face.

"You'll never leave us, Miku…" he groaned, his voice gravelly and cracking with every syllable.

Miku winced as she heard Rin behind her, the realization that she was surrounded making her blood run cold as she lurched forward, a sudden sharp pain shooting through her back. The rose she'd pinned over her heart burst, the petals seeming to explode from her chest and scatter before her. In front of her, Len was still smiling, though now his face was covered in splatters of red the same color as the rose. The taste of metal filled her mouth as she started gasping and struggling to take a full breath. She felt something warm trickle down her lip as she looked down. Her eyes widened as a dark pool bloomed over her chest where the rose once sat. Miku gaped at the spot, trying to muster enough breath to scream, trying to breathe at all. She glanced back up, wordlessly watching as Len stared back at her, the glow of his eyes dimming like a dying ember as tears streamed down his face. Behind her, she heard Rin crying out bitterly, small, agonizing screams mixing with sobs. Between the two of them, Miku felt as though she was going to cry herself, her heart aching sharply and palpitating unnaturally as she tried to string together another apology. All too soon the world around her began to flicker, like a dying flame. In another moment she was tumbling forward, her legs unable to support her weight any longer. Like a candle's flame, her vision was snuffed out entirely as she slipped into a deep, icy darkness.

 **~x~**

 **Sorry for the late update! The story is almost over and the epilogue will be up tomorrow! If you've enjoyed so far, please rate and review! Happy (almost) Halloween!**


	5. Epilogue

It was a surprisingly beautiful morning, still and calm as the townspeople lay sleeping, taking advantage of the chilly weather and a chance to stay in bed a bit longer than usual. The strange storm from the night before calmed, and seemed to have ushered the village into the midst of autumn. Looming over the town, the forest bloomed with vibrant bursts of red, orange, and yellow, the light wind whistling through the leaves seemed to fill the expanse of trees with whispers. Your breath burst into the early morning air, each white puff ascending into the clear morning sky as you admired the scenery. Your steps thumped on the hard path beneath your feet, but soon you found yourself stopping, staring straight ahead, eyes widening as you reached the entrance to the forest. The pause allowed the sunlight to give you some much needed warmth as you prepared for your journey into the woods. Standing at the entrance, you realized you'd involuntarily planted your boots into the sunbathed earth, eyeing the shadows that engulfed the trail, darkening the soil and seeming to swallow the light. You almost felt as if you were standing on a precipice, on the very border of all that was safe and comfortable and serene and what lay unknown and shrouded in the shadows of those towering old trees.

The stories that made their way through the village this time of year did nothing to improve your feelings towards the forest. Though you prefered to try to keep a level head, the townspeoples' words echoed through the back of your mind, a constant reminder of the strange events reported in the woods. Tales of odd lights bouncing through the trees in the dead of night meant to lure travellers off the path to their demise and rumors of a haunted mansion cursed by a witch in the middle of the forest were some of the much tamer rumors that were spread. Though you wished you could laugh off the strange things you'd heard, simply dismiss them as old wives' tales used to keep the children in check, something in your mind never allowed you to fully forget what the people said in quiet whispers and behind closed doors. Though nobody could ever tell you quite what happened in the woods, one thing was certain: the trees themselves seemed to demand a level of respect, if not for the secrets they held, than for their age alone.

You shook your head and tried to dismiss the thoughts as best you could as you lifted your foot. In one swift movement, you found yourself beneath the canopy of trees. You pulled your cloak closer around your frame. While the cooling shade of the trees would be welcomed on a hot day, in the autumn the significant temperature drop sent a shiver down your spine. Leaves swayed and twirled through the crisp air, falling to rest on the forest floor. Despite their continuous descent and the wind whistling through the treetops, the forest seemed strangely empty, almost devoid of life. Your steps seemed loud as leaves crunched under your boots, and you found yourself becoming more aware of your heartbeat and breathing as you moved deeper into the heart of the forest. As you followed the path, a heavy mass of murky white seemed to cascade over the path and consume it.

You paused and watched nervously as the eerie cloud gained ground, coming towards you at an almost menacing pace. The fog seemed to reach for you like spirits' hands, ready to drag you into the depths of the forest, but you resisted the urge to run as tendrils of fog began to inch over your boots and up your ankles like fingers, clinging to your body and pulling the heat from your bones.

Your rapid breathing, once visible with every exhale, intermingled with the shroud of white that engulfed you. You continued forward on the trail, much more aware of your vulnerability as your vision diminished with the thickening fog.

You saw the old tree that marked where you're supposed to step off the path, but suddenly found yourself wondering if that was such a good idea after all. You felt the rumors as they began creeping into your thoughts again, but quickly shook them away. With a newfound, albeit shaky resolve, you took a deep breath and stepped off the path.

You peered through the cloudy air, searching for truffles to harvest. Ivy crawled along the forest floor, claiming every surface it could reach, much like the fog. You found a few mushrooms and you heart soared with relief as you stuffed them into a small pouch on your belt.

~x~

After a half hour of searching, you've collected enough to start making your way back home. The sooner you're out of the forest, the better. You straighten from picking up a few truffles and pause. Trying your hardest to see through the fog, you swear you see something odd in the distance, huddled beneath a tree.

You take a quick glance back to the trail, and with your bearings in check, you head a bit deeper into the woods to get a better look.

You approach the silhouette and call out, asking if the stranger is alright. You quicken your pace when you get no response, worried that the person may be injured.

You go to speak once more, but your words catch in your throat as horror bubbles within you and makes your stomach churn. You turn on your heel, running through the woods as fast as your feet will carry you, panic and fear coursing through you as you pray that whoever did such a terrible thing isn't still around, for surely you'll be next.

Your vision swims with images of the girl propped against the tree, her mouth hanging open, her teeth and lips caked with red, her gaze distant and empty. Through her dress, you swear you could see torn flesh and bone, and an empty gaping hole where a heart once rested. Two poppets splattered in blood rested in her limp and outstretched arms. As you ran away you swore that you could hear laughter just behind you, coming from the dolls nestled against the corpse of the girl. You wish you could have blamed the sound on the wind, but around you the forest remained deathly still.

 **~x~**

 **Happy Halloween! While the story is now complete, I'm not quite finished yet. I've decided to change some plot in Chapters 3 and 4 to make it more similar to the PV I was basing this fic off. Thanks to everyone who followed and favorited, don't forget to leave a review if you enjoyed! The final updates to this fic will be posted no later than November 2nd, though I'm going to try to complete the rewrite by tonight. Keep an eye on the description or my profile. I'll update both saying when the story is officially complete.**

 **Additionally, I've decided to announce the song that I'll be basing my Halloween 2018 fanfiction on: Alice Human Sacrifice. I thought this was a great experience, and I'm looking forward to what I'll be writing next year as well! Again, Happy Halloween, everyone, and thank you for your support!**


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